Athetis tenuis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athetis tenuis |
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Athetis
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A. tenuis
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| Athetis tenuis (Butler, 1886)
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The Athetis tenuis is a type of moth. It belongs to a large family of moths called Noctuidae, often known as owlet moths. You can find this moth all over Australia, including Norfolk Island, and also in New Zealand.
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About the Athetis Tenuis Moth
This moth is quite small. Its wingspan, which is the distance from one wingtip to the other when the wings are spread out, is about 25 millimeters (about one inch).
What Does It Look Like?
The front wings of the Athetis tenuis moth are a pale brown color with tiny speckles. Each front wing has a small spot near its middle, which can be either black or white. The back wings are mostly white, but they have brown lines, called veins, running through them.
What Do Young Moths Eat?
The young moths, which are called larvae (or caterpillars), have been seen eating the stems of young Gossypium plants. Gossypium is the scientific name for cotton plants. So, these caterpillars like to munch on cotton plant stems!
How This Moth Got Its Name
The Athetis tenuis moth was first described in 1886. A scientist named Arthur Gardiner Butler gave it its first scientific name, Radinogoes tenuis. He studied moths that were found in places like Peak Downs and Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia.
